Indie Publishers Unite for the National Year of Reading: Launching Our Monthly Inclusive Reading Lists
- Lantana Publishing
- 6 hours ago
- 3 min read

At Lantana, we’ve been feeling really excited about the National Year of Reading in 2026 and the opportunity it presents to celebrate children’s books in a meaningful, collective way. As we continue to publish inclusive stories by underrepresented authors this year, we also want to grow and celebrate our community—of authors, illustrators, readers, and, of course, our fellow publishers. We are thrilled to announce our new initiative: a monthly inclusive reading list featuring stories from different independent children’s book publishers.
What is the National Year of Reading and why is it important to us and our readers
James Urquhart, Interim Director, Literature & Senior Manager, Libraries, Arts Council England said: “As we approach the National Year of Reading in 2026, it’s more important than ever to ensure that all children can find authentic and engaging books that speak to their lived experiences, spark imaginations, and have the power to inspire a love of reading.”
The annual CLPE Reflecting Realities survey, funded by Arts Council England, reports an overall increase in the percentage of racially minoritised characters featured in published children’s books reviewed– from 17% in 2023 to 24% in 2024. We have come a long way from the 1% of children’s books featuring a main character of colour in 2017, but we still have a long way to go.
While we have published many stories representing children from different ethnicities and cultures around the world, our understanding of diversity goes beyond racial representation. From disability and neurodiversity (The Invisible Story, One Extra Sparkle: Ellie and the Marriage List) to LGBTQ+ pride (My Mummies Built a Treehouse), from socio-economic disparity (The Playdate) to war and human rights (Azizi and the Little Blue Bird, Tomorrow), our books spotlight a wide range of under-represented topics and communities with sensitivity and care.
Indie publishers unite! Launching our monthly inclusive reading lists
At the same time, we recognize that real, meaningful inclusivity is rooted in community. We’ve noticed that there doesn’t yet seem to be a strong or visible presence from independent publishers within the National Year of Reading campaign, so we reached out to our indie children’s book publisher friends to join forces for a collaborative project.
Starting in February, we will release monthly reading lists, each based around a broad theme. Each month, the list will bring all our selected titles together and help these stories reach our combined networks and communities. To give a sneak peak—this February, the theme is ‘Different Types of Love,’ showcasing stories that explore love in all its forms; in March, we will curate the list ‘All About Women and Girls’ in celebration of Women’s History Month. This is a great opportunity for indie publishers to amplify each other’s books, make some noise, and take up space together.
So far, the publishers who are joining us include Wacky Bee, Scallywag Press, Red Robin Books, Dinosaur Books, Otter-Barry Books, Parakeet Books, Book Island, and Old Barn Books. If you’re an independent children’s book publisher and would like to be featured on our list, please contact us. We’d love to hear from you.
We really see this as a chance for independent publishers to go all in together for the National Year of Reading, and to celebrate how reading helps children feel seen, represented, and empowered. Keep an eye out for our many exciting reading lists to come!
